


My Beast

by thefortunateone



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening, Super Smash Brothers, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Drama & Romance, Furry, Human-Werewolf Interactions, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-12
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2018-02-25 03:16:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2606462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefortunateone/pseuds/thefortunateone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Although Ike doesn't like people he might open his heart for Link in a different form... but is it enough to make him love him? Wolf Link/Ike/Link! YASS IT IS UPDATED FINALLY! ♡♡</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beast of Faron Woods

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally a tragic one-shot but after so many requests for a sequel I decided to rewrite the whole thing and turn it into a proper story. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this version of My Beast and drop a line or two if you do!  
> If you're revisiting read the first chapter again, it's been rewritten :)

 Ilia couldn’t let him take the route through the forest. ”Mister!” She called out to him. 

 

The stranger on horseback rode on undisturbed. He had either not heard her or ignored her but she wasn't one to give up so easily. She knew what was waiting for the unsuspecting people who ventured into the woods, the horrible danger they put themselves into. She broke out into a jog to catch up with him.

”Hey, mister!” She repeated in a more irate tone as she reached his side. ”You shouldn’t go through those woods!”

 

The man glanced at her, he was a tall solemn stranger with messy blue hair and deep, dark eyes that revealed no emotion. A scarf hid the lower part of his face. His brow seemed constantly burrowed in anger as if he carried a grudge on the world. He was wearing clothing suitable for a knight and a heavy two-handed sword on his back. ”It’s the fastest route.” He replied without even slowing down. 

 

”You don’t understand! There’s a vicious beast in those woods!” Ilia explained anxiously, she looked up at him with large blue eyes, her blonde hair tousled by the wind. ”Stay a few days! We’ve set up traps, it’ll surely be caught within a few days!”

 

”There’s someplace I have to be.” The stranger said through pursed lips, unmoved by her petition. He turned to look at her with those dark, demanding eyes, their glare icy cold. Ilia wasn’t easily frightened but she felt her knees turn to jelly and a shiver run down her back. He wasn’t at all the kind of person she would like to be friends with. ”How vicious is this beast?” He asked, pondering his options.

 

”Huh?” Ilia paused for a second. ”It’s big and hairy with huge teeth-” 

 

”How many has it _killed?_ ” The stranger cut her off, irked by her response. 

”Killed?” She repeated, it was such a horrible word and yet he seemed to use it so casually. ”I don’t… know… nobody yet? But it’s a vicious beast, it preys on lone travelers like you!” She explained, truly believing her cause. She had been frightened almost to death the other day when she had been picking berries and the beast had attacked her. She had run away as fast as her feet could carry her, leaving the blueberries she had been picking behind.

 

”If it hasn’t killed anyone yet, how do you know it’s vicious?” The stranger asked, his dark eyes drilling holes into her. She returned the intense gaze, the hateful accusing glare with equal intensity. All she wanted was to protect him, warn him of the danger ahead. If he still chose to ride into certain death, well, it was his loss. 

 

Ilia frowned. ”It’s a huge beast! It has fangs like-”

 

”Just because it _looks_ like a beast you assume it is one?” The stranger cut her off again, talking to her like she was dumb. No, like she was the scum of the Earth. He encouraged his horse to pick up speed, slowly leaving her behind. Their conversation, as unpleasant as it had been, was over. 

 

Ilia watched after him, cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted one last warning. ”It’ll eat you for breakfast!” 

 

”I’ll take my chances,” he murmured, passing a sign that read _Now leaving Ordon Village, have a safe trip!_

 

His horse trudged on slowly, steadily, as the village fell behind him. The voices of life faded away the deeper he rode. Magnificent trees taller than he had ever seen surrounded him, their foliage rustled softly in the wind. He closed his eyes, letting his body rock back and forth on horseback softly as they treaded through the forest. Treetops filtered soft light. He pulled down the scarf around his neck, breathing freely once again. He revealed in such peace and solitude. 

 

Ike had never been a people-person. In fact, if he could, he avoided all contact with everyone. The only ones that mattered to him were his four-legged friends and his sister, Mist. She was barely fourteen, the amber of his eye, the meaning of his life ever since their father had suddenly died. Heart-attack, they had said. Back-stabbing, he had thought. 

 

Ike would never have come to Faron Woods had he not been on his way to the Smash Tournament. Why would a loner like him want to take part in an event with such high TV coverage? He had never cared for fame or glory and winning it meant endless interviews, social events, photo shoots, endorsements, probably a reality TV-show and whatnot…

 

Ike wasn’t attending the tournament to become famous or remembered although it would’ve been nice if the princess Elincia had not forgotten about him in the first place. After all, he had secured peace in the country. He attended the tournament because there was a money prize. Without it he wouldn’t be able to pay his mortgage on the house he and his sister lived in. Mist was still to young, she couldn’t help out with the bills yet and all their animals needed food and shelter. Everyone, including princess Elincia had gracefully forgotten him, a war hero, when he had had no future use. 

 

He had ended up taking odd jobs with mercenaries around the country doing whatever for whoever. Their tasks had wandered from capturing unfaithful husbands to looting conquered castles. Usually when money was involved, there was someone who tried to take it from the others. Mercenaries were a lot of back-stabbing, throat-cutting, double-crossing bastards to put it nicely. The tournament offered him an escape route, if he were to win, he would no longer need to associate with such hateful lot. 

 

He could retire, spend time with his sister and their animals. Live in peace, be left alone. That was all he wanted. 

 

He was alarmed by a whine, coming somewhere off the trail. He halted his horse, it threw its head back in disapproval but agreed to stop eventually. Ike listened intently, it was the whimper of a creature in distress. He had always had a natural fondness for animals of all sizes and shapes. He often brought rescued animals home and spoke to them as if they were human. It had sometimes annoyed Mist, but knowing how much her brother loved animals she had learned to love them too. Their house was a sanctuary, not only for the four-legged but also for Ike. 

 

He moved quietly towards the whine, remembering what the girl had told him about the horrible beast residing in the forest. In his mind it sounded more like a puppy than a wild animal, but he proceeded with caution. Thick growth made it difficult to move quietly and more than once Ike was whipped with a branch when he had tried to evade it and let go of it a little too early. 

 

He was exhausted when he reached a small clearing, the treetops gave way for sunshine. In the middle of the clearing was an old tree stump and for a passing second he was certain that he had heard a flute being played somewhere. Behind the stump, cowering and whining was a large grey beast, probably a wolf. It hadn’t heard him coming and kept whining in pain. Ike watched it for a moment in silence, pondering how to approach it as not to aggravate it. 

 

He decided to approach it as quietly and slowly as possible. If it was caught in a trap, as the girl had told him the villagers had set in the forest, it was best not to aggravate it in any way. It would only make things worse if it tried to fight itself free. The way most traps were designed was that the more the prey struggled the worse they made it for themselves. 

 

Ike approached the wolf as quietly as he could, walking towards its front so it would see him coming. That would give it the advantage of studying him and remaining calm rather than if he tried to approach it from the behind. The wolf was too preoccupied to notice him and he advanced steadily. 

 

_Crack!_

 

He froze, he had stepped on a twig. The wolf looked up at him with glowing turquoise eyes. It ceased to whine and began to growl, arching its back in fear. It had a beautiful grey mane that made it look even bigger than it actually was, on its forehead was a symbol that made Ike suspect it wasn’t an ordinary wolf. Just its sheer size was enough to suggest that. Still, frightening as it was, Ike was mesmerized by its raw feral beauty. 

 

”Whoa, easy there,” He said, trying to remain as calm as possible as the wolf revealed large white canines accompanied by a low, ominous growl. It tried to stand but its front leg was stuck in a bear trap and it whimpered when it couldn’t properly use its leg.

 

”Calm down, I don’t want to hurt you,” Ike spoke softly, holding his hands where the wolf could see them. The wolf watched him with bewildered eyes but fell silent. ”I want to help you.”

 

Ike moved as if in slow motion towards the wolf. It felt like an eternity taking one step, then waiting for the wolf to calm down enough to stop showing its teeth, then taking another one and receive a growl. Ike had rescued animals from traps before, he knew it was of utmost importance to adjust his movement so that the beast allowed him to come closer. A swift approach might have felt like a good idea to release it from the trap and end the pain as quickly as possible, but it also alarmed the animal and with a wolf that size Ike wasn’t willing to risk it. He wished to live to see another day.

 

He managed to get next to the wolf eventually and it sniffed his hand before allowing him to touch it. It breathed heavily, flashed its teeth at him but it was clearly calmer than before. Ike let his hand caress the thick grey mane as a sign of friendliness, he could feel how fast its heart was beating. The poor thing, he had no idea how long it had been there, fighting against the impossible on its own. 

 

”I’m going to get you out of it now,” He said softly while trailing his hands down the leg that was in the bear trap. It had been set wrong, thank goodness, and the damage to the wolf was minimal. There was blood and it was impossible to say for sure but Ike had seen the kind of damage bear traps could do, the wolf could still count itself among the lucky ones. ”Just stay calm, it’ll be over in a sec.” He said reassuringly as the wolf snarled at him.

 

He swallowed nervously, knowing that if he let his anxiousness show the wolf would quickly pick up on it and attack him. He took a few deep breaths to calm down. If he failed and the trap shut completely the wolf would have no leg and bleed to death. He clenched his fists tightly to stop his hands from shaking. Then he muttered _Ike you can do this_ and attempted to open the trap. It squeaked, moving one hundredth of an inch, but that was it. It was an old one, rusted at the hinges and very tight. 

 

The wolf showed no more aggressive behavior. It had apparently realized that he was trying to help and although his first attempt had been a failure he still received a wet lick across the cheek from the beast. Then another, and another, endlessly. As if it was trying to apologize for growling and snarling earlier. 

 

”Stop it, I need to concentrate.” Ike scolded it as he pushed its head away from himself. It still looked at him but agreed to let him help unobstructed. 

 

Concentrating all of his strength into it he pushed the blades apart, the old hinges screeched as it began to open. The wolf tugged at its leg and eventually it slid out of the trap, leaving nothing but blood on the rusty blades. Ike let go and the trap sprung shut with tremendous force. Both of them watched it accusingly, the wolf while licking its wound and Ike huffing out of exertion. Had it worked like that the first time the beast wouldn’t have had a leg to walk on anymore. 

 

It tried to rest some weight on the leg that was bleeding but to no avail. It cringed out of pain and limped to Ike, having changed from a ferocious wild beast into a domesticated dog. It didn’t growl or flash its fangs at all, instead it licked Ike’s fake’s gratefully. It breathed heavily and crashed into his lap, exhausted. Ike tried to inspect the wound, the wolf drew its leg away. 

 

”I’m trying to help. Stop that.” Ike exhaled, grabbing the wounded limb again. 

 

The wolf looked at him intensely with those turquoise piercing eyes but remained still, allowing him to inspect the wound. It wasn’t deep, nothing that wouldn’t heal. Ike removed his bandanna, it was the perfect width and length to tie a small gash. He cleansed the wound with water from his flagon and a small vertical wound came visible. He proceeded to wrap the bandanna around it, tight enough but not too tight, just like Mist had taught him.

 

”Good boy! Well done!” He said when he was done and the animal licked his hands, his face, all around. For a vicious beast it was rather friendly, its tail wagged like a neighborhood dog’s. It attempted to lay weight on the wounded leg but it held none, still Ike could be sure that it would heal within a few days. 

 

”The whole forest must be full of traps like these,” he said as he got up. ”You should go somewhere else. It’s not safe here,” he added as he threw the trap into a nearby bush. As he began to walk back to his horse he suddenly realized that he could’ve ended up in one of them just straying off the safe trail. It was necessary to stay alert until he got to his horse. 

 

He trudged onwards, not noticing the wolf following him. He noticed a few traps on his way back, it had been lucky he hadn’t stepped in them. They were well hidden with leaves but once he was looking for them he could spot them easily. He took a long stick and triggered all of them, most of them were old and rusty and failed to work but those that worked chopped a piece of his stick clean off and he wondered how anyone was capable of doing something like that to innocent animals. 

 

His horse was where he had left it, it grazed peacefully but grew anxious when he emerged from the bushes. It neighed, threw its head at the sight of him, its eyes wide as could be. Ike quickly grabbed the reins to keep it from bolting off. He still needed it and walking all the way to the tournament wasn’t an option, he’d be disqualified if he was late. He spoke to it with soothing words, caressed its neck and mane, perplexed by sudden reaction until he noticed the reflection of the beast he had just saved in its big brown eye. It had followed him all the way from the clearing, limping but doing its best. Ike tied the reins around a tree to keep his horse still and ignored its anxious neighs. 

 

He stooped to the wolf’s level, it licked his face and whimpered quietly as if it was accusing him of leaving it behind. He rubbed it beneath the ears and it closed its eyes in happiness. 

 

”You can’t come with me,” Ike said, his fingers still embedded in the lush fur. ”I have somewhere I have to be, you’ll only slow me down.” 

 

It whimpered again, licked his face again. It was clear it was asking to be taken with him. Ike couldn’t do that. It only had three good legs, if he was to wait for it limp behind him he would be late for the tournament and the dream of winning the money prize could be forgotten. It just wasn’t possible. 

 

”This isn’t goodbye forever.” Ike said, his heart breaking. It was such a beautiful, sentient being, it seemed to understand every word he spoke to it. He knew perfectly well wolves weren’t capable of that. They were wild animals, they communicated with growls and barks, all it could pick up from him was the tone of his voice. Even so when it looked at him with those deep turquoise eyes he couldn’t help but think that they had reached a mutual understanding.

 

He took the injured leg in his hands, the wolf flinched slightly but didn’t pull it away. He trailed his finger over the bandanna, looking at the animal meaningfully. It returned his gaze. ”Once your leg has healed, follow my scent and find me.” He said, immediately feeling stupid for having said such an idiotic thing. A wolf was neither capable nor did it care enough to track him down. 

 

But it was better to leave with a false sense of hope than to think of the possibility that the wolf was going to be hunted down and made into hats and jackets if it didn’t move further away from habitation. 

 

—-

 

Ike arrived at the mansion well before the start of the tournament. It was an old stone mansion with tall ceilings and marble floors, every wall was covered with beautiful woodwork. It was a magnificent building, once the abode of a lord or perhaps a lady or both, back in the day when the wealthy had not been afraid to show off their assets. 

 

Only a few others had come before him and although having fretted taking part in such a social event Ike felt relieved he had so much space. The garden was very big, it opened through large stained-glass double doors in the dining hall and stretched all the way to a far away forest. Ike enjoyed the garden very much. He could easily disappear behind bushes when someone tried to befriend him, trail away from the sand paths to lose whoever wanted to exchange a few words with him. He hardly ever went to the dining hall to eat, merely grabbed a sandwich to go or a piece of cake and retreated to a bench somewhere in the garden to enjoy it in solitude. It was his way of coping, whenever someone tried to befriend him he disappeared. If someone was persistent he insulted them and they quickly learned to keep their distance. He was there for one purpose and one purpose only, to win the money prize. The smashers weren’t any different from the mercenaries he had worked with. People just weren’t any good. 

 

Slowly the quiet halls began to fill with life as each day new contestants arrived. Warriors, princesses, kids, peculiar animals called pokémon, people from all walks of life. It made Ike anxious. He had been prepared for throng and tumult but having been accustomed to the peace and quiet of Crimean countryside he often sought out solitude. The garden, which he had previously been very fond of was buzzing with life. He was forced to migrate further away from the mansion in his search for peace and quiet. 

 

One day he ventured into the forest at the end of the garden and to his surprise, well hidden from someone who came just for a stroll he found a small grove. It had probably been a hiding place initially too and he briefly wondered what the previous owner could’ve wanted to run away from. Eminent business, royal responsibilities or maybe they had met a lover there? Ike had never understood love. He knew _of_ it and knew the concept but to think of himself as a flower-wielding, chocolate-carrying buffoon was just impossible. 

 

He sat down on the old white iron bench, it too had been crafted with great care. White arcs stood on both sides of it, connected with a lattice a creeper had almost completely covered. Since none of the gardeners knew of the place no one had cut it in ages and long strings of leaves hang from the mesh. It seemed unreal, like something out of a fairytale. Ike took a deep, relaxed breath. Somewhere high above, in the treetops wind created whispers. Such peace was sublime, Ike felt like he had returned home. 

 

His moment of happiness was quickly disturbed. He heard rustling, scrunching of leaves beneath a runner. He opened his eyes, perturbed by the thought of anyone venturing into the forest. Most of the smashers seemed like indoor-folk, they could take a stroll in the garden and enjoy it as much as the next person but hardly any of them cared to trek into actual wilderness. It had been a relief to Ike so far but as the footsteps drew ever closer he began to suspect his earlier assumption. 

 

It was clear someone was coming for him. At times the footsteps slowed down or there was rustling of other kind, a jump or a complete halt, but all the same Ike was certain whoever it was was looking for him. He stood up, unable to understand why. He never socialized with anyone and he had made sure no one had followed him. The grove was hard to find with an unaccustomed eye, was someone else aware of its existence? Had someone found it before him?

 

The footsteps grew more rapid as they got even closer, Ike could hear every jump now being followed with a grunt. It was a male voice, but he was sure he hadn’t heard it before. Thoughts ran through his head as those fervent steps came for him. Should he run? Should he hide? He hadn’t brought his sword, should he defend himself? His heart beat faster as he anxiously waited to be found. 

 

While he had frozen in thought a youth approximately his age if not a little younger tore his way through the creeping vine into the grove. He hadn’t sought for the exit (of which there were two to choose from) but had come directly through the thickest foliage. Behind him Ike saw the terrain he had come through, it was enough to exhaust everyone. He stood absolutely still like an idiot staring at the youth panting in front of him. 

 

He didn’t seem as odd as the first impression was. True, he had come through thick forest like a bullet from the mansion to the grove instead of walking on a trail, it was no surprise he was out of breath. His cheeks glowed with a healthy rouge, his slightly slanted blues eyes studied Ike curiously. He had leaves and moss in his hair, having probably fallen over a time or two, Ike deduced as much from the burdocks and small sticks that had stuck in his green tunic. Basically he looked like a catalogue of forest flora and Ike would’ve found it funny had he not found the situation so very bizarre and frightening. After all, _he had come straight for him,_ literally. 

 

”There you are!” The youth said briskly, throwing the vines out of his hands and jumping into his arms. He wrapped his slender legs around Ike and snuggled close to him, giving him a friendly lick on the cheek.

 

Ike fought out of his hold and threw him on the ground. ”Get away from me!!” He commanded, alarmed, as he took a few hasty steps backwards while lifting his curled fists, ready to strike him down if he got too close again. 

 

The youth got up and dusted himself off, seeming a little dumb-founded himself. ”Don’t you recognize me?” He asked with a smile, still holding his arms open as an invitation for a hug. 

 

Ike gave him a second look; he had pointy-ears, his face was narrow and he was surprisingly pretty for a man, his build was slender but his muscles were well-taught. A ranger, perhaps? Or an elf, Ike found himself wondering. He tried to remember having met him but came to the conclusion that he had never _ever_ seen him before. It only added to his bafflement that the other seemed to know him so very well and had even assumed that it was all right to come so close to him. Whoever the youth thought he was he was obviously mistaken.

”Look, you have the wrong person,” Ike explained in a calm manner, lowering his fists. ”I’m not the one you’re looking for.” 

 

”Yes you are.” The other replied instantly. Then he pulled out a dirty old bandanna from his pocket and handed it to Ike, smiling at him meaningfully. 

”You told me to follow your scent.”

 


	2. Disbelief

"You told me to follow your scent." Link looked at him, holding his hands around the bandanna in his closed palm. On his face was the most innocent, benevolent smile Ike had ever seen.

Ike staggered, his face frozen in an expression of utter disbelief.  _What had he just heard? What scent? How would a… whatever race the man was representing find him using his scent?_  He was too confused to make the connection between Link and the wolf he had met in Faron Woods.

"I did no such thing." He uttered quickly as he pulled his hand away and the bandanna fell on the ground. He couldn't think of anything else to say.  _Was the other just trying to play mind games with him? How could he try such dirty tricks with such an innocent fool's face? Who even smiled like that, so casually?_  Ike's brow furrowed as his mind ran into darker waters.

Link eventually broke the silence between them: "I know it's kind of sudden… I can see you're a little confused but I have to say this." He took a deep breath, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I know we don't really even know each other but I think  _I love you._ "

"W-what?" Ike asked while taking a step back, unable to comprehend what had just happened. A young man had first accosted him, then claimed to have tracked him using his scent and finally confessed his love for him even before stating his own name. Ike had never met anyone like him. He was beyond puzzlement, he had reached the point where his brain went and sighed:  _Oh f*** it._

"I know it's a lot to take in at once so it's okay, take your time." Link said with a smile as he pressed closer to Ike, curling his hands around him. "I'll just wait right here."

The swordsman stood motionlessly for a moment as his mind tried to catch up with what he had just heard. "Wha… what is going on…?" He asked helplessly as the Hylian pushed up against him, holding onto him like he was his… wait for it…  _lover!?_

"What? No! No! Get away from me!" Ike pushed him away as it dawned upon him what the other had just told him. He held Link by the shoulders to keep him at bay, not knowing what else to do. He had never been so uncomfortable in his life. He took a deep breath as he said: "I already told you, I don't recognize you. Whoever you are, just leave me alone."

"But… you told me to follow your scent…" Link clung onto his words and his tunic, Ike couldn't fight his hands off of him while holding him still from the shoulders. If he let go he was afraid that the Hylian would just slam into him again and it was making him very anxious, he was not at all used to being touched by others. No one had ever violated his personal space as outrageously as Link had. TWICE.

"You… you're crazy." Ike exhaled as he failed to make the connection once again. Of course, he had helped _a wolf_  in the forest, not  _a Hylian_  and Link's words only seemed strange and out of context. He was making him uncomfortable and distressed. The closer Link tried to get to him the more suffocated he felt.

" _Crazy?_ " Link frowned as he let go of his tunic. "So… you really don't recognize me?" He asked defeatedly, taking a step back. Then he removed one of his gloves, showing Ike a long vertical scar on his wrist. "I know look a little different than in the forest but-" He was cut off by a loud announcement blaring through the garden.

_Welcome all smashers to the Super Smash Brothers tournament of 2015! The opening ceremony will be held in the greenhouse in fifteen minutes! It's time for all of us to gather together and begin by going through house rules, introducing new attendees, balloting the first matches and begin this all new tournament 2015!_

While Link had listened to the announcement Ike had began towards the greenhouse on the other side of the garden, hoping to get a head start and manage to shake the Hylian off his tail. If he could only lose him once he could evade him for the rest of the tournament and not listen to his crazy talk, even more importantly he wouldn't have to deal with all of his touchy-feely approaches. Ike picked up the pace, finding himself for the very first time in his life growing a little  _scared_  of someone. If he hadn't been running away from him he would've found it funny that he had not been afraid of  _the Black Knight_  yet a Hylian looking for a hug drove him up the wall.

It didn't take long for Link to catch up with him and start talking. "Ike, I really didn't want to start off like this. I know you'll understand if I could just explain-"

"I don't need explanations." Ike said, taking even longer strides. "Just go away."

Link was quiet for a moment, following Ike close by. He almost had to jog to keep up with him. "Anyway… It's really simple, you see when Midna-"

Ike stopped on his tracks and turned to face him, letting out an exasperated sigh. Link almost ran into him but managed to halt just in time. He instinctively put his ears back but kept the eye contact. Although Ike wanted to come off as angry and aggravated, he wasn't. The wolf in Link could sense it. Why did he smell like _fear?_

"Will you stop following me?" Ike asked in an irritated tone.

Link looked at him, blinked and pointed at the greenhouse not far away from them. "I'm going to the greenhouse too, should I take another route?" He asked.

Ike rolled his eyes upon realizing that there was no way he could shake off the Hylian before getting indoors. He sighed frustratedly and stomped on, Link walked right behind him through the double doors leading to the rotunda. The greenhouse was built on top of an old amphitheater, between the seats and walkways grew plants each more beautiful than the last. It was a magnificent place, Ike would've appreciated its architecture and flora had he not been anxious about the amount of people flocking in. Most of the seats were already filled, he couldn't see a nice solitary seat anywhere. Smashers from all over the world had gathered into the greenhouse and the clamor and concourse were bothering him to no end. He had gone from the frying pan into the fire.

"Hey! Link! Come sit with us!" Peach shouted from the third row, she was standing and waving her hand to catch their attention. She was with Zelda and Marth and they were all looking towards the two. Even Marth was smiling and waving at them to come sit with them. Without thinking Link grabbed Ike's arm and began to pull him after him towards his friends.

Ike flinched and jerked away. He was already anxious and disturbed, the Hylian trying to touch him was just too much. "Don't touch me!" He snapped, holding his arm as if Link had tried to rip it off.

"I'm sorry, I just thought I wouldn't lose you." The Hylian said with an endearing smile. He truly had forgotten it wasn't okay to touch Ike and he was pretty sure he would keep forgetting it. "Come on, we're sitting over there." He said, extending his hand for him to take.

Ike didn't budge. "I'm fine right here." He snapped, not even looking at Link. By the door was a good spot for him. It was a comforting thought that he could exit any moment if he'd feel too uncomfortable by the amount of people.

"You won't hear anything from up here." Link insisted, trying to grab Ike's hand again but the other jerked away just in time.

"What is the matter with you?" Ike snapped, glaring him down. He was left with the last one of his coping mechanisms, insulting others to keep them at bay. "Are those big pointy ears hard of hearing or is there something the matter between them?  _Do you not understand when I say leave me alone!?_ " He asked.

As if Ike's words had been a gentle breeze the Hylian seemed unaffected by them. "I'll see you after the ceremony then." He said with a smile and trotted to his friends, tossing a glance at him as he sat down.

Ike watched after him in agape. How could he not understand simple words? It was frightening how he disregarded any and all requests to be left alone. Insults seemed to bounce right off of him. What kind of a person was he? Ike sighed. What had he gotten himself into?

The ceremony had already started when Pikachu ran in, it tried to find a spot where it could see the stage but couldn't. It trotted back and forth, whining  _pikapii_ quietly. Eventually Ike crouched and picked it up on his shoulder where it could see clearly all the way to the stage.

" _Pika pika_!" Pikachu squealed thankfully.

"You're welcome." Ike said with a smile as he rubbed its yellow tummy. He had also calmed down without the Hylian constantly trying to touch him.

On the third row the three friends were curious about Link's new acquaintance. Zelda looked at Ike over her shoulder and saw the swordsman smiling at the small pokemon. She remembered her friend in green having spoken about someone looking a lot like him who had helped him when he had been in wolf form.

"Is he the one you were talking about?" She whispered. Link nodded.

"What happened?" Marth asked curiously. "Why didn't he join us?" He inquired, also looking at the tall swordsman feeding treats to a yellow pokémon.

"I don't know." Link replied with a shrug. "He didn't want to come."

"Did you tell him?" Zelda asked. She had advised Link not to, especially after having heard that his target of affection was none other than the most unsocial person she knew of.

Link nodded. "I tried. He didn't want to listen." He admitted, rubbing his chin as if he found it hard to understand why.

Zelda gave him an encouraging smile. "Well, it's not every day you meet someone who can transform into a wolf." She said.

"I just thought if I'd hand him his bandanna he'd remember me." Link replied as he looked at the dirty old bandanna. He had picked it up before leaving the grove, it meant a lot to him.

"It is quite a leap of faith, isn't it?" Marth asked, leaning closer to the two. 

"I know I might look different but who I am hasn't changed." Link exhaled. Ike hadn't even paid the effort to hear him out only because he walked on two feet instead of four. "I was sure he'd recognize me, he even  _rubbed me behind the ear_ back then _…_  that means love, right?" He looked at his friends.

Zelda nodded slowly as if she was hesitating her answer, Marth remained unmoved apart from blinking once or twice. Link knew they couldn't understand what it meant to have fallen in love as a wolf. It was unconditional love. Whatever Ike would say or do he would still seek for him and stay with him, guard him and accompany him. "I just want him to do that again…" He said quietly.

"I'm sure he'll learn to like you once he gets to know you." Zelda said with a smile. "Forget about the wolf. It's not who you are." She patted him on the head, immediately realizing that she was treating him like a wolf as well and jerked away.

"Yeah… I'll just have to make him understand." Link said with a smile. He glanced at Ike once again, the swordsman seemed to have forgotten there was a ceremony, he was having so much fun feeding the tiny pokémon treats. Pikachu squealed at every treat and Ike's smile only grew wider. Link pressed his lips tightly together as he made himself a promise. He knew Ike had a soft side, he had seen it in his wolf form. He would find it and latch onto it and never let go.


	3. Postman Link

The garden bathed in the warm rays of the setting sun, a gentle breeze played in the long grass where Link lay on his back, struggling internally. He flipped an envelope around in his fingers, reading the neat handwriting on the back over and over again.

_Ike Greil, Super Smash Brothers Tournament 2015, Smash Brothers Studios, Smashville._

It was a letter he had accidentally received, it had been misplaced in a stack of his mail and before he had noticed the error the postman had already gone. It was Ike's mail. Someone wrote him letters. Link flipped it over again, sighing.  _Who wrote Ike letters?_ He seemed like such a recluse.

_Ike Greil, Super Smash Brothers Tournament 2015, Smash Brothers Studios, Smashville._

Link had held onto the letter for a few days, hoping to bump into Ike casually and hand it to him. It would also be a great excuse to engage him in a conversation, no matter how short, but Ike was truly elusive. After the ceremony he had vanished into thin air and moved between the arena and his room so stealthily that some of the smashers thought he had a teleport of sorts hidden in there.

_Ike Greil, Super Smash Brothers Tournament 2015, Smash Brothers Studios, Smashville._

Link knew he couldn't hold onto the letter forever but in a sense it was a piece of Ike. It was something that belonged to him. The reason he had not accosted Ike wasn't all because he hadn't been able to find him, it was because when he did it might be the last chance he ever got to talk to him.

He sat up as he heard the grass rustle softly, someone was approaching. Zelda shuffled through the garden, her dress tinted with the warm glow of the setting sun. She sat down next to him and straightened her dress before looking at her friend. He had a ladybug in his hair, she picked it out carefully like a mother would.

"Are you still holding onto that?" She asked with a smile, referring to his letter. The insect skittered on her index finger before taking flight into the darkening evening. Link paid little to no attention to his looks but it did him hardly any damage, instead he reminded her of an unruly imp whenever he had pine needles or moss or small insects in his hair. How anyone could not like him was far beyond her understanding.

"Yeah…" Link admitted as he ran his fingers through his hair, a heavy sigh erupting from his chest.

"I thought you would've already given it to him." Zelda spoke. "You seemed so determined to be his friend at the opening ceremony."

"I had no idea he was so good at avoiding people… Avoiding  _me_." He replied, looking away from her. Of course he was determined to be Ike's friend, it just wasn't as easy as he had imagined it to be.

"He only avoids you because he doesn't know you yet." She said, grasping both of his hands and looking into his eyes. "Go to him. Give that to him. I'm sure he'll be delighted."

"You think?" Link asked excitedly, his pointy ears perking up. His countenance changed from defeated into hopeful just by a few simple words from his oldest, dearest friend. He stood up, looking almost possessed as the orange glow of the setting sun ignited his suddenly determined features.

"I am." Zelda said with a smile and continued to explain: "Someone took time out of their busy schedule to write him a letter, I'm certain he'll be grateful that you went through the trouble of taking it to him!"

"Do you think he'll thank me!?" The other asked, clearly breathing a little faster out of excitement, his body trembling out of anxiousness to chase down the one he loved.

"Well we can hope that he will but…" Zelda fell silent. Her friend had bolted off the second she had opened her mouth, apparently he hadn't needed any more encouraging. Her smile widened as she watched her friend in green run through the garden towards the mansion, jumping over flowerbeds like a gazelle. Link was indeed endearing. _How could Ike not like him?_ All he needed was time. She turned her face towards the setting sun and enjoyed the warmth on her face, soon it would sink behind the horizon and reveal a thousand, thousand stars.

Link ran. He ran like he had run when he had been returned his human form. He ran like he only ran after Ike. He had run through Hyrule without a single stop, passing friends and enemies and even the Marathon Man. He had run like he had been possessed.  _For what?_  For Ike to reject him flat out because he didn't look like he used to? He refused to believe it. For a while he had doubted himself but Zelda had opened his eyes once again. Ike was like an iceberg: almost unbreakable. If he only found one crack on its surface he could insert a wedge into it and slowly drive it deeper and deeper until the ice came crashing down.

It was a great idea. He was so proud of himself as he banged on Ike's door three times and called for him. He had to repeat this quite a few times before a reply was uttered:

"Go away."

Link knew that if he couldn't get Ike to open the door all the way he had no chance of getting in. Worst case scenario was that Ike would open the door just a little, only enough for the letter to slip through and his chance of exchanging even the smallest words would be gone. He had to irritate Ike on purpose to squeeze past him when he was distracted by anger. After that he would be a lot harder to get rid of, he was good at holding onto things if it got that bad.

He kept knocking and intoning the other's name. As he had predicted after the tenth monotonic  _go away_ Ike suddenly opened the door with such force that it almost came off its hinges. He glared at the Hylian, his nostrils flaring and his eyes aflame, his unruly blue hair hanging on his face. "You… What do YOU want?" He hissed through gritted teeth.

Link had grown so used to Ike's intimidating tactics that he didn't even flinch. Instead he smiled as cordially as he could when he handed the envelope he had guarded with his life to its rightful receiver. "I believe this is yours. I accidentally got it." He proclaimed ceremoniously, throwing the other completely off-balance.

Ike's hostile glare turned into a hopeful gaze as his eyes glided over the careful handwriting, he had immediately recognized it. Although only seeing his own name in those delicate letters he was filled with tranquillity and happiness. He couldn't have cared less about the Hylian who took advantage of his moment of distraction and slipped past him into his room, proceeding to sit down on his bed as if it was his own.

Ike's room clearly reflected his lack of enthusiasm about the tournament. He hadn't even unpacked his bags, the one thing he had taken out of his luggage was a picture of himself and a brown-haired girl, he had an arm around her and she smiled widely like she had just won the lottery. She was probably a family member or a girlfriend, Link found himself thinking. He did a quick inspection of the other's room before fixing his attention back on the swordsman who had (unfortunately for him) realized that the Hylian he had greatly tried to avoid had used his moment of bliss to invade his privacy. As much as Ike wanted to grab him and toss him out he had been kind enough to bring him his misplaced mail, the least he could do was let him sit for a few minutes.

Ignoring him, however, was out of the question. "Who's it from?" Link asked, watching Ike with great curiosity.

"Nobody." Ike replied irately. He held the door open with one hand to let the Hylian know he was overstaying his welcome which had never existed to begin with.

"Really?" Link asked incredulously, not really expecting a further answer. He made himself cozy by leaning back on Ike's bed, holding his upper body upright with propped elbows. His heightened sense of smell picked up the scent of the swordsman in his sheets, it was intoxicating. He wouldn't have left even if Ike had carried him out, he would've clawed his way back in until authorities had come and carried him out using tear gas and smoke bombs.

_Dear brother Ike,_

_It's been busy since you left. All the animals need so much taking care of, I've been very busy! The labrador Nelly you brought home from your last mission, turns out she wasn't just fat, she had puppies! I had to call the vet-_

"Is it from home?" Link asked, following Ike's facial expressions closely. Although he was trying to remain solemn he was kind of smiling. "Crimea, right?"

Ike shot him a glare that ordered him to be quiet. Link replied it with a shrug and a smile.

_-over because I got so scared that she was going to die but when he got to our house he said Nelly was in labor! She had six puppies last night! They're the cutest things I've ever seen! I took a few pictures to send you!_

_I saw your last fight on TV, you rock!_

_Love, Mist_

Ike took the photos from the envelope and couldn't help smiling.  _How cute they were!_  Among many one photo depicted those small black puppies as they flocked to their mother, one showed all six sleeping scattered across their living room floor. Some were blurry as the little ones moved too fast for the camera.

Ike chuckled for the first time after having arrived to the tournament. He had felt restless and anxious being so far away from home and his comfort zone, constantly surrounded by people and cameras and publicity but at that moment he returned to his small house in the countryside of Crimea where apple trees were blossoming at that time of year and violets, meandering from an old flowerbed, were slowly taking over their ill-tended lawn. Small birds sat on curled branches and sang out of the joy of life, filling the air with an expectance of summer. There, between those apple trees in the very end of a winding dirt road stood their small white house, laundry drying outside on a line, cats napping on the stone steps that bathed in the warm rays of the sun. Ike could hear Mist humming inside.

Link saw this peculiar reverie on Ike's face as a gentle smile and his heart skipped a beat. The swordsman looked a lot younger when the veil of somberness was lifted from his face, his dark eyes narrowed into two thin lines and dimples embellished his cheeks. Combined with his unruly hair he looked like a schoolboy who had never run into misfortune yet. Succumbed into a daydream Ike didn't notice a photo slipping between his fingers and landing next to his bed after a brief moment of gliding through the air.

With his heart still beating off-rhythm Link leaned forward, his curiosity peaked, to pick up the photo Ike had dropped and saw that it depicted two black puppies playing. One was holding the other's tail in its gums since it had no teeth yet. Both were small and cute.

"Did your dog have puppies?" He asked. What he expected was a nasty reply among the lines of  _that's none of your business_ or  _what do you care if she did,_ but what actually happened took him completely off-guard.

"My labrador Nelly had." Ike replied enthusiastically as he sat down next to him and began to show him the photos one by one. He seemed incredibly excited as he talked about each photo, whispering  _look look look_ as he shoved them into his friend's hands. As soon as he had gone through all of them he suddenly fell silent, seeming even a little surprised by how easily he had shared something about himself.

"They're all very cute." Link said with a smile as he handed the photos back to him and continued in his carefree way: "Makes me think you'd like me a whole lot better if I were like your labrador too."

"I'd like people in general a whole lot better if they were more like animals." Ike exhaled, flipping through the photos once again. He had gone from cheerful to depressive in record time.

"Can we still be friends?" Link asked, feeling the remnants of their shared moment of joy shattering in the air and floating out of his reach. Even so Ike had lowered his defenses and they were having an actual conversation, with words and all.

"I don't need friends." Ike said quietly, clenching the photos.

"Everybody needs friends." Link replied, trying to sound as laid-back as possible. In truth he was desperate to get a  _yes_ out of Ike. It was his  _only_ chance. If Ike rejected him he'd have to wait for another blessing in disguise like the mail blunder to get to talk to him and he really didn't want to, he wanted to be with him so desperately he was willing to do anything. Hiding his anxiousness carefully he added as casually as he could muster: "And hey, I like puppies too so we have something in common."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Ike's lips but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. A silence fell over them, causing tremendous agony to the Hylian who prayed quietly in his mind for nothing more than those three letters that meant the world to him. One syllable. He tried to subdue his inner tumult and let his gaze wander around the room, the ordinary, dull room that was special only because it was inhabited by Ike.

"I found Nelly at the side of the road one day." The swordsman said quietly after a long silence, still holding his gaze on the photos his sister had sent him. It almost seemed as if he was talking to himself, Link had to lean a little closer to hear him properly. "Someone had just abandoned her, tied her to a tree so she couldn't follow her owner… how could someone be so cruel…? I couldn't just  _leave her_ … I took her home with me and then she had these puppies… it feels like good things can happen from bad things too…" He said with a hopeful tone in his voice.

The Hylian had watched him speak with wide eyes and lifted brows, suddenly understanding him better than ever before. What Ike constantly saw others do was what made his hatred grow stronger each day and in a way he was trying to redeem even that little bit of goodness in humanity through his own actions. Although comprehending where his friend's antipathy came from Link couldn't agree with his way of thinking, generalizing all humans through the actions of few was the true crime committed.

"You're really very kind, Ike." He said with a smile, wanting to pat his friend on the back but was too afraid of what might happen if he did so and decided to cross his arms over his chest to keep them out of trouble. "Of course, I already knew that. It's why I fell in love with you."

"You're mistaken." Ike said, turning to look at him with those dark blue eyes. "A pure emotion like love isn't for corrupt beings like us." What his words confirmed was that he didn't understand love at all and didn't even want to. He had always focused on the negative sides of humanity and failed to notice that all bad things were nothing next to love itself.

"That's a bit depressing, don't you think?" Link asked relaxedly, still trying to keep the conversation light.

Ike looked at him quietly for a while, his eyes turning deeper and darker. Whatever was going through his mind was inconceivable from his countenance. "You should go. I want to be alone." He mumbled after a while.

Link stood up and flashed a smile. "I will but I'll be back because we're friends now." He said as he walked to the door of his own accord and shut it behind him, thus receiving a silent approval of friendship from the swordsman. He leaned against the door, holding back a relieved laughter. Ike had neither given him an affirmative answer nor denied it, therefore it was safe to assume they were friends.

Wasn't it?


	4. Bad Kiss

Link was fast on his feet and agile as a wolf. With a predator's determination he hunted down his enemy. Bowser tried to put up a fight but it was of no use, all he could do was take a hit after hit. Link threw him down each time he got up, forcing him ever closer to the edge of the arena. None of the smashers had seen him fight with such fire burning within him. It almost seemed as if he was trying to impress someone. A very special someone, indeed.

Zelda had been the first to see the fierce determination in Link that was only brought forth by one emotion: love. She had quickly arrived to the conclusion that in the concourse of the audience had to be someone he held extra-special, someone who had blue hair and dark blue, almost black eyes. Her gaze stopped as she spotted the back of a head that reminded her of that certain someone; a head of messy blue hair tied together with a black bandanna. She leaned towards Peach sitting next to her, the other princess was watching the fight like she was enchanted, gasping and awing loudly as Link punished Bowser in her stead.

"Is that… Ike?" Zelda asked quietly, covering he mouth with a hand while trying not to be rude and point but when the princess of Mushroom Kingdom ignored her she drew her attention by poking her with a sharp nail.

Peach snapped out of her enchantment to pay attention to her friend and upon seeing the previously mentioned back of the head she had to rub her eyes. "I… I think it is… it has to be. I don't think I've ever seen him here…" She whispered in disbelief. "They must be getting along then."

Zelda couldn't help smiling, it seemed as if Link's relentless pursue for friendship had actually borne fruit. "I think… it's more like Link has worn him down… Ike couldn't intimidate him or run away from him so he's finally learned to accept him."

"And here I was hoping they'd have kissed by now." Peach mumbled under her breath, crossing her hands on her chest. "I bet if Link would've kept his wolf form and transformed in front of Ike they would've kissed right there! It would've been so romantic!" She whispered, clasping her hands together.

"Except that when the Twilight Realm was sealed away Link lost the ability to transform." Zelda informed her friend.

"Like, forever?"

"That's what he thinks." The Hylian princess replied. "He can't do it at will anymore. It requires a Twilight Crystal. Midna gave me one before she went to her own world but it's a rather volatile, dangerous thing."

"But if it's for love!" Peach exclaimed. Someone sitting next to her hushed the two of them but she only stuck her tongue out to them.

"I've thought of it, believe me." Zelda whispered in a voice barely audible. "There's no guarantee what it would do to Link. What if he can't transform back? Or what if he gets stuck a mix between his two forms? What if he looses sight of who he really is?" She asked, having genuinely mulled it over. She had even thought of destroying it, but had changed her mind at the last second. It could come in handy in a desperate situation after all.

"That sounds dangerous." Peach replied, pushing a wisp of curly blonde hair behind her ear. "I guess it's better not to mess with objects out of this world…"

The fight ended in Link's victory. It had been quite obvious since the beginning but nevertheless the audience had been thoroughly entertained and after a roar of applause began to dissolve. The television crew that had recorded the fight hurried to interview the contestants, Zelda watched Link give a short speech and hurry to Ike. Surprisingly the tall swordsman hadn't left first, he had patiently waited for his blonde friend.

"I think they're making great progress as they are." Zelda said to the other Princess as they walked past the two on their way to the exit. "At the ceremony Ike wouldn't even come close. Now look at them."

The two were talking, Ike seemed a bit reluctant to, but every once in a while his gaze met with the Hylian's and he opened his mouth to reply. It was a conversation they were having and it pretty much surprised everyone. They had all imagined Ike to hate everyone and everything equally but seeing him awkwardly converse with a Hylian made them all feel a little more sympathetic towards him. He couldn't be all that bad if Link still kept him company, right?

Peach looked at the two curiously, her feet dragged and stopped. Her eyes lit up as she asked her friend: "So what you're saying is they just need a little push?"

"I'm sure they can handle-" Her words went on deaf ears as Peach had interpreted them the way she had wanted to and hurried to the two.

Ike noticed her approaching and he grew solemn, dark clouds arising on his forehead. He had come to watch Link fight, it had been fine as long as no one had tried to talk to him or even acknowledge his existence. Seeing Peach approach made his mood instantly bad, however, as long as Link was still there he was willing to remain civil. The Hylian in green smiled at the princess as he noticed her but didn't stop talking to Ike. He was expecting her to comment on the fight, perhaps even congratulate him for defeating a foe of Bowser's caliber. What Peach thought? She saw nothing but hearts, rose petals and glitter around the two, her vision tinted with pink. The perfect moment, she thought to herself. Link had done the ground work, she was going to help them the extra mile.

Without so much as a word she put her gloved slender fingers against both of their backs of the neck and before either one could realize what was happening their lips had already locked. Peach smiled victoriously while Zelda gasped in terror. Ike and Link both had their eyes wide open out of shock, they tore away from the hold as quickly as they could, both looking horrified. Ike's expression darkened as he realized what had happened. Link didn't know what to say, he was mortified that all his hard work, it was going to go down the drain. He knew it, he absolutely knew it and he hated it. He couldn't even look at Ike, he already knew that a storm was headed his way.

"Is this a f****ing joke!?" Ike bellowed at the princess and the Hylian, both of his fists curled up, his arms stiff at his sides while he tried to restrain himself from assaulting the both of them.

"It's okay, Ike, let it go." Link hurried to say, having recovered slightly from his shock. He knew he was the only one who could turn the situation around being the closest Ike had ever had to a friend.

"You love each other, right? Just realize it!" Peach exclaimed, her vision tinted with pink had rendered her incapable of accepting that it hadn't been the correct time to play cupid.

Ike took a step closer to her, scrutinizing her with dark angry eyes. Before he could spew hateful words on her Link ran between them, although she had failed her intentions had still been good and she didn't deserve the contempt she had been about to receive. Ike was equally disgusted by the both of them as he hissed: "Did you… spread this… this filthy lie?"

"It's not a lie!" Peach exclaimed behind Link, holding him from the shoulders as a human shield. She had climbed aboard the helpful train and didn't know when to stop even when Link was throwing her anxious glances over his shoulder. "You've been a big jerk all this time! Just fall in love already!" She continued as she closed her eyes tightly, holding onto the Hylian's shoulders with all her strength.

"Love?" Ike asked scornfully as he brought his face just inches away from his friend's. "I should've known you only wanted to use me." He said, attempting to sound contemptuous but there was disappointment in his voice.

Link swallowed, he didn't like where things were headed. "I never deceived you. I told you my feelings the moment we met."

"You know how I feel about love." Ike spoke, his voice was just a low murmur. "You still insist on playing with my heart until it breaks?"

"No, Ike, it's not like that!" Peach hurried to answer, still hiding behind her friend's back. "You two… I was just trying to help, I-" Zelda intervened, her hand silencing the other princess as she pulled her away. She had recovered from her initial shock and decided to help out the hero who always saved her.

"There's nothing we can do now." She whispered into the blonde girl's ear as she guided her away from the danger zone. Link sighed out of relief, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. The swordsman glared at him with hateful blue eyes, his fists clenched tightly shut. Still, they had made progress since Ike hadn't insulted the two of them right off the bat.

"I'd never break your heart." The Hylian said softly from his heart. He looked at the other with a gentle, caring gaze as he tried to take his hand but Ike pulled it away. He tried again but with no different result, only a glare that warned him not to do it anymore. "It's true what she said, I love you and you know it but I was honestly willing to settle for friendship. Please don't blow this out of proportion, it was just a kiss." He explained while trying to remain as calm as possible when a huge man was looming over him.

"Just a kiss?" Ike asked, throwing his arms in the air frustratedly. "How about first kiss!?" He bellowed.

Link's eyes widened upon hearing those words. _It had been Ike's first kiss!_ He couldn't help smiling. Of all the gifts he had ever received during his adventures none had ever meant so much to him as the very first touch of those lips against his. The thought gave his heart wings and although he attempted to remain solemn and serious it was fluttering with joy. He was special. He was the only one who had ever got to kiss Ike. 

"What are you so happy about!?" The swordsman shouted in vile anger as he noticed the momentary reverie on his friend's face.

Link sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He hadn't been able to hide his happiness and if he wanted to ever speak to Ike again it was best to be completely honest. "I just never thought I could be your first kiss..." He said, avoiding the hateful blue glare. 

"You say you'd be fine with friendship but would you really?" Ike asked rhetorically, a heavy sigh of disappointment erupting from his chest. "No you wouldn't. That's self-deceit. If you got the chance you'd pounce me again!" He accused, pointing at the Hylian like he was a criminal of some sort. The princesses watched the two with wide eyes, one holding the other, neither saying a word.

Link sighed, it was true. He could pretend to be happy just being friends but it was just as Ike had said, he would still spend his days weaning off of hope and yet still always pining for more. A man hanging on by a thread, never able to let go. Given the chance he would _absolutely, definitely, infinitely_ do the kiss again. He wasn't even angry at Peach, it had been Ike's first kiss! It hadn't triggered a perfect lover in Ike like in his fantasies but it had to mean something to him as well, right? The thoughts ran rampant in his mind, all arriving to one conclusion: Their friendship as they knew it, as fragile as it had been, was over. One kiss had destroyed all of his hard work. It had all been in vain.

Ike had watched his friend in silence for a while, hoping for him to deny or object but Link hadn't. Ever since the first moment they had met he had been aware of the other's feelings, albeit it had been a rather strange confession. Ike still wondered how the Hylian had managed to get his dirty old bandanna. Although it had been weird and uncomfortable for him, the whole concept of friendship, he had found Link different from the others. The way he spoke was exactly what went on his mind, there was no filter when it came out. _Who confesses their love to a person they've just met?_ That was what Ike liked about him, his genuine nature and the inability to deceive. 

Or, that was what _he had liked_ about him, it had turned out Link was no different from anyone else and they had obviously all teamed up against him to humiliate him. He hardened his heart as he poked the Hylian's chest. "This ends now. I'm done. I'm going home." He said, spreading his arms wide open while taking a few steps back. He turned around on his heels and began for the door with long strides. 

"Ike, wait!" Link exclaimed, extending his hand to grab his cape but it fluttered past his fingers and he was left with nothing.

"No, Ike, don't!" Zelda intervened, letting go of her princess friend and the two ran in front of Ike to block his route. 

"Please Ike!" Peach shouted as she grabbed his tunic. "It was my fault!" She kept screaming when Ike removed her nimble hands, grabbing him again in a desperate attempt to keep him still. Why they wouldn't let him leave was because they both knew that if he did, he would never be seen again. 

Ike tried to push them off of him but every time he managed to remove one princess the other had grabbed him again. They weren't very strong but they were fast and their fingers were stickier than chewed gum. He didn't want to hurt either one of them, after all the damage Peach had done had been internal and if he wanted to retaliate it would have to be at the same level. What he didn't know was that they were buying time for Link, just enough for him to get himself together, pick up the pieces of his broken heart and try again. They knew Ike was an iceberg but Link had done so much already, he was the only one who could make him stay. Their screaming was useless, no matter how many times they wrapped themselves around Ike he was slowly moving away. When Link arrived he wrung them off of him instead of helping them hold him still and the swordsman seemed genuinely relieved. 

 _Please Ike forgive us don't go home you can't let this end like this, Ike no you can't leave, it would devastate all of us you've been doing so well you can't go-_ The princesses kept chanting and squirming until Link hushed them gently while still holding the both of them. They quieted down, looking at the tall swordsman with pleading eyes. Ike was standing still at the doorway, his dark gaze meeting with the cerulean one. 

"Don't go, Ike. I'll never talk to you again, I swear. None of us will." Link said. It was a promise and although it broke his heart to say those words he was willing to give up their friendship if only Ike would stay. His home, Mist, Nelly and her puppies, all of those required the money Ike had come to the tournament for and he couldn't bear the thought of having chased him away. 

Ike was sharing his thoughts, ironically, as is the habit of friends. He had no other option but to win, otherwise he was penniless. Mist would be homeless, all of their animal friends would have to go to the pound, he would have to take odd jobs with the mercenaries he hated so much. He knew that Link kept his word, he would never have to deal with the Hylian again. Why was his stomach twisting into a knot at the thought? He nodded, unable to understand himself and strode away without a word. 

"It's over…" Link whispered as he fell on his knees, clenching his chest. His heart was in shambles. He had known since the very start that Ike hadn't shared his feelings but it hadn't mattered, he had still pursued him because he couldn't be without him. He had hoped for a miracle, anything to change Ike for the better and see through the veil of appearances. He was still that very same beast he had helped in Faron Woods. The gratefulness and loyalty he had awakened in his wolf form had interpreted into love as he had regained his human form. 

Zelda put her arms around her friend, so did Peach. They squeezed him tight and he returned their affection, grateful that he wasn't alone. The three of them stayed like that for a long while, all of them pondering of a way for the two to be together again.

"Link…" Zelda said, having arrived to no other conclusion. "I have a special crystal I'd like for you to have."


	5. Big Gray Beast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been edited by [Chirunos.](http://archiveofourown.org/users/chirunos/pseuds/chirunos)

Ike lay on his back on the bed in his room, gazing at the ceiling, thoughts running through his head. He knew he had overreacted when Peach had forced him to kiss Link; lamenting about it only made him feel worse.

 

He had never been a people-person. All his life he had sought for solitude, to be left alone. The general tumult of a crowd only made him anxious and lash out as he had done to Link at the ceremony at the very start of the tournament.

 

It wasn’t all his fault he’d lost his temper so easily. There were several reasons contributing to it. One, he had promised Link to watch his fight after he had asked him to come twenty-five times and threatened not to quit asking until he obliged. Two, he had squeezed himself into some narrow seat in-between people who wouldn’t stop asking him trivial things. Three, he had patiently waited for Link while everyone had walked past him, even bumping into him as they’d exited. Four, when he had eventually seen Link after having suffered through all that his heart has skipped a beat unexpectedly.

 

_Scritch scritch…_

 

Ike sat up upon hearing a scratching noise at his door. It seemed strange. He watched the door in silence but when the sound failed to repeat he shrugged, it could have been just his imagination. It, too, had been running wild lately. 

 

He lay back down, resuming his thoughts. Yes, when he had seen Link he had felt immensely better and it had frightened him. Had he become so soft that anyone could lift the lid on the chest that was his heart and enter as subtly as the Hylian had? While he had been perplexed by this thought, barely even listening to Link talk, the infernal princess had come to them and done the one thing that she shouldn’t have! He wasn’t bothered by the fact that it had been his first kiss, such trivial things didn’t matter. It wasn’t hers to decide whether or not they kissed.

 

He let out a rueful chuckle. He was bothered by it, that was true—but it was because in the back of his mind, in the darkest deepest regions of subliminal thought, he had formed the idea himself.

 

_Scritch scritch scritch…_

 

There it was again! He jumped upright, his heart thumping. He was certain it hadn’t been in his imagination; otherwise he was hallucinating rather vividly and it was a cause for alarm as well.

 

He looked at the door, sitting silently still, keenly watching the brown wooden door. It remained still as if nothing had happened, not willing to share its secrets. Ike listened, certain that it would repeat. He got on his knees, leaning towards the door but it was perfectly quiet. Ike leaned even further, clenching the edge of his bed in anticipation. His heart was racing with excitement as he leaned even further. No sound, nothing. 

 

Until it repeated, twice, three times more. _Scritch scritch scritch!_ Ike had been so tensed in anticipation that upon it he flinched and fell off his bed, landing flat on his face and twisting his body to a very uncomfortable angle. Cussing at himself under his breath he got up quickly and touched his nose gingerly. It wasn’t bleeding and it was still attached to his face. That was a good thing. The scratching continued, having paused for a second while he had created a loud thud upon falling off the bed. 

 

Ike took a few wary steps towards the door, his head feeling foggy. In his temples he could feel a faint pounding from hitting his head but he was too preoccupied with the scratching to pay any heed to finding an ice pack. Unsure of what was waiting for him on the other side of the door he eyed the Ragnell resting against his wardrobe. He stopped to hesitate, standing tip-toe half-way to the door. Would he come to need it?

 

 _Scritch scritch scritch scritch!_ The scratching continued demandingly, forcefully, urging him to open the door. Amidst the noise Ike heard a quiet pleading whine, one that he immediately recognized. He had heard it before just once all the way back in the lush Faron Woods. It had alarmed him of the plight of the most beautiful creature he had ever laid his eyes upon. Without a second thought or suspicion he bolted for the door, throwing it open. 

 

At his door, sitting like a puppy was the magnificent grey beast he had rescued in the forest months ago. It looked at him with shining turquoise eyes, so deep and sentient. On its forehead was the magical symbol that had  led Ike to believe that it wasn’t an ordinary beast. Now he knew it wasn’t. A wild animal, a wolf, couldn’t have cared enough to track him down nor would it have had the skill or endurance to, since this place was far, far away from Hyrule. 

 

Ike fell on his knees, opening his arms and the wolf began to wag its tail uncontrollably. It wagged so hard that even its haunches were flailing around. It was hard for it to walk to Ike while its backside was living a life of its own. As Ike’s arms wrapped around the lush grey mane, it jumped against him with such exhilarated force that he fell on his back, his face suddenly wet with wolf tongue as his friend greeted him. He laughed while trying to dodge the sloppy kisses but there was no escaping the animal. The large wolf stood over him, Ike’s arms around it, happy as a wolf could ever be as he giggled and squirmed underneath it. What a joyous reunion!

 

”I knew it,” he tried to speak, finally managing to get a hand between them and the wolf directed its attention towards it. He managed to sit up, now able to admire the wolf in all its beauty. He looked at its leg, where the wound had healed quite nicely only leaving a small vertical scar. ”I always hoped you’d come to me…” he said and the wolf ceased to lick his hand, fixing its intelligent gaze on his. 

 

At that moment Ike was certain it had understood what he said. Not because of some sixth sense but because the wolf actually nodded, looking straight into his eyes. It was the weirdest yet most rewarding moment of animal communication in Ike’s life. 

 

”You… you just nodded.” He said, pausing as he realized how unbelievable it sounded. It _couldn’t have_ just nodded. No animal was that smart.

 

Yet it did it again.

 

”My beast!” Ike exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around the wolf, pulling it close against himself. His face sunk into the luscious grey fur and he could feel its heartbeat against his cheek. It was even smarter than he could’ve ever imagined; it understood speech! What a magnificent beast! He squeezed it tightly, overly excited when he felt something cold against his face. He jerked back, and looking closely, he found a deep blue crystal on a collar around its neck. 

 

”You’re someone’s pet…” Ike exhaled as he held the jewel in his fingers, appraising it as something very rare and also very expensive. His eyes moved to the collar - it was brand new and it had clearly been put on just recently. It only added to his bafflement. Who had done this to the wolf? Had it been captured after he had saved its life and allowed it to escape somewhere else? Ike turned the crystal around in his fingers. ”Who could own a beast like you?” He asked absent-mindedly.

 

Underneath the wolf’s skin, behind the appearance of a magical beast was none other than his Hylian friend. It had been Zelda’s idea to fasten the crystal around his neck with the collar so he wouldn’t lose it and suddenly the same crystal had managed to capture Ike’s attention. The wolf was fast, both on its feet and in its thoughts. It hadn’t expected Ike to even look at the crystal, much less ask about it, although now it was sort of obvious a gem like this was certain to draw attention. The wolf had only one person it could go to for answers, and that was Zelda, although it knew perfectly well that she didn’t like the wolf form at all. The wolf tore away from Ike’s hug and dashed off in hopes of providing him with a satisfactory answer, and Ike fumbled onto his feet as he followed it out the door. 

 

Ike struggled to keep the wolf’s pace. He was so much slower on two feet that it wasn’t even fair. The wolf dashed away with grace and beauty, leaping across the floor and darting around passerby. Ike came after it nearly tripping over the carpets and bumping into his fellow smashers. The wolf occasionally halted to wait for Ike, stomping its feet excitedly, and then dashed off until Ike had fallen too far behind again.

 

Ike couldn’t care less about everyone else, he never had. Leaving behind confused smashers he only ran after the wolf, certain that it wanted to show him something or someone and although he was out of breath and exhausted from running through the mansion he still followed it, wheezing and huffing while his cheeks glowed deep red with the exercise. 

 

The wolf exited into the garden through the double doors in the dining hall, suddenly stopping completely. It lifted its nose in the air, sniffing for any trace of the princess. It didn’t take long before it caught the whiff of her rosy, refined perfume. Just when Ike had been about to reach it, relieved that it had reached its destination, it dashed off again at twice the speed. Ike groaned, having already assumed the chase was over and forced himself into a swift jog to keep up. 

 

The wolf ran a small distance onto a dirt road, both sides heavy with flowers of all kinds. Somewhere further down the garden it could hear the sounds of the children playing but it wasn’t headed there. It made a quick turn into the rose garden, not allowing their heavy scent stun its delicate sense of smell. Its nose hadn’t failed it and surely enough it found the princess with no trouble. It parked its rear end in the sand in front of the bench she was sitting while holding its gaze firmly on her as if it was trying to answer his question. Ike arrived shortly after, huffing and wheezing but managed to collect himself quite fast. A frown came upon his brow as he wondered whether or not she was the mysterious owner of the wolf. 

 

”Is.. Is that wolf yours?” Ike asked to confirm his doubts, still a little out of breath. 

 

Zelda lay the book down in her thighs, marking the page with her other hand as she turned to look at the two of them. Although she had a poised grace about her, for a split second she’d lost it to shock at the fact that the wolf had brought Ike to her. She noticed the wolf was pawing at the crystal around its neck—of course Ike would be asking questions about it! ”Oh, that one? No, it’s not mine, although I did find it this morning by the gates, barking and scratching its way in,” she replied calmly.

 

”Did you put the collar on it?” Ike asked, his curiosity peaked. ”That gem must be worth a fortune.”

 

”I did,” Zelda replied with a smile as she reached out to gently rub the wolf’s forehead. It closed its eyes in a blissful state as she continued: ”I couldn’t let it inside the mansion without a collar. Can you imagine what sort of panic it could’ve caused? So I bought it one. Maybe it is a bit flashy, but at least no one will think it’s a wild animal and pursue it.”

 

”Do you know why it’s here?” Ike asked with a smile, satisfied with her answer. Such an expression baffled Zelda. What a huge difference there was between the swordsman she had known previously and the one that stood before her. Link had been right, the wolf could bring out the best in him. He wasn’t off-putting at all, she found herself intrigued by the change in him, hoping to keep conversing with him just a little longer.

 

”I haven’t the faintest,” the princess replied casually, even though she had just a while ago told Link about the Twilight Crystal, warned him about its volatility and sent him on his way. 

 

”I saved this wolf’s life in Faron Woods,” Ike said, crouching to the wolf’s level and it came obediently into his arms, eager for more rubs by its quite obviously favorite person. ”I tied its wound with my bandanna and told it to track me down after it had healed. Can you believe it really came?” 

 

”It truly seems to have taken a liking to you,” the princess said, watching how the wolf leaned against Ike’s rubbing hand with its eyes closed as if it had reached nirvana just by petting. 

 

”That’s what I like about animals,” Ike confessed. ”They never have an agenda. This wolf came to find me because _it_ wanted to.” He switched to the wolf. ”Yes, you! You’re such a good wolf, yes you are!” 

 

Zelda found it almost funny how soft and loving Ike was towards the wolf. That, and the fact that if wolves were capable of smiling that big dorky beast would be grinning from ear to ear. It was absolutely ecstatic about the attention Ike lavished it with and vice versa.

 

Still, she wasn’t convinced. Momentary happiness had been achieved, but she knew nothing would change if Link didn’t show Ike his true form. The longer it would go on the more Ike would feel deceived by him upon finding out the reality of things. It was something Link had probably not even thought of in his relentless pursue. He often failed to think things through, sprinting into action. Zelda knew she had a habit of worrying after him, a habit that had probably surfaced after Link had recovered his human form. His wolf transformation hadn’t been voluntary, and after the Twilight Realm had been sealed away Link had been disoriented and confused, lingering on the edges of humanity and savagery. She couldn’t allow him to deteriorate to that again. 

 

 ”It makes me wonder. If such a person were to exist - free of agenda like you said - would you love them, too?” She asked as casually as she could, reasoning with herself that she only had their best interest on her mind. 

 

Ike frowned. He found the question rather strange. ”I don’t know. Maybe.” 

 

”What if your wolf could turn into a human?” Zelda asked, noticing how the wolf fixed its glowing turquoise eyes on her, staring at her intently as if it was trying to tell her to stop. 

 

Ike chuckled. ”That’s a weird question.” Seeing him in such a good mood, it was easier for Zelda to understand why Link had grown so fond of him.

 

”Humor me,” Zelda replied with a smile, returning the wolf’s gaze with equal intensity.

 

”I’d still love it, it just… it wouldn’t be the same,” Ike said after a while, rubbing the back of his neck. ”I mean, I know how to make this wolf happy, with plenty of rubs and treats but if it were a human… I don’t think I’d know what to do.” He seemed puzzled by the idea.

 

”Rubs and treats are equal to caresses and kisses,” Zelda said, her smile ever widening. Ike was responding in a way she had hoped for him to, if she could only imply to him that such a person already existed maybe Link too would be encouraged enough to reveal his human form. ”Once you fall in love truly it’ll come naturally, all that.”

 

”I don’t need that. It’s always been just me, Mist and our animals,” Ike replied, resisting the idea flat out.

 

”And now this magical beast that has followed you all the way from Hyrule,” Zelda said, irked by his response. Even risking the exposure of her dearest friend she was willing to persuade Ike just a little bit further, bend him into her will. She struggled to hold a casual tone as she continued provocatively: ”Don’t you think that it reminds you of some-” 

 

 _BARK!_ The wolf cut her off, standing firmly on all four feet, arching its back to appear bigger. A low growl emanated from its throat. Ike immediately picked up on the sudden change in his companion and turned to look at it intensely, asking what was wrong. He could not possibly understand what was really going on.

 

”Ah, never mind,” Zelda said hastily, realizing she’d gone too far. ”I should… I promised I’d spar with Link.”

 

”I’ve been trying to find him,” Ike said as she stood up. The wolf seemed to calm down as quickly as it had been roused, and Ike dismissed its sudden behavior as maybe having spotted a squirrel or a bird.  ”Could you tell him… I’m sorry for… the way I acted?” he said without making eye contact with her, referring to the awkward situation involving Peach. 

 

”I will,” the princess said with a smile, her gaze meeting with that of the wolf. ”Although I have a sense that he already knows.” 


	6. The First Night

Ike collapsed on top of his bed and a heavy sigh erupted from his chest into his pillow.

"What a day!" He said, his voice muffled. The wolf parked its rear end next to the bed, watching its exhausted master with deeply sentient eyes.

After their meeting with Zelda the two had become the target of everyone's attention. Everyone had been immensely intrigued by the giant canine that looked like a terrifying predator but behaved like a small puppy. One by one they had come to pet it and as word spread of the beautiful wolf more and more smashers had appeared to satisfy their curiosity. Everyone had wanted to play with it. They had thrown sticks and frisbees and the wolf had been eager to fetch. Eventually Ike had had to tell them to stop when the wolf had begun to foam at the mouth out of exhaustion. He had held it gently in his arms as it had caught its breath. You big silly thing, don't you know when you're tired? He had thought to himself.

Questions had swarmed him. Where had the beast come from? How had he trained it? Was it the only one of its kind? Ike hadn't beeb able to answer them. He had been forced to tell his story time and again, at first he had been nothing short of reluctant but as he repeated it over and over again he became more excited and enthralled by his own story. A simple story of a wolf in a bear trap had slowly evolved into an intricate fable of a mythical beast and a humble soldier.

Ike turned to his back. He had enjoyed himself for the first time since arriving in the tournament. He had thought it only possible to be happy in his small cottage in the countryside of Crimea, feeling such a rare emotion in completely different surroundings confused him. He had changed, or maybe the wolf had changed him.

He turned to look at it gently, that big funny beast that always made him feel better. How had it found him? It returned his gaze with those deeply sentient turquoise eyes. It couldn't be an ordinary wolf. It was something far more, something so much more special. He smiled, the wolf barked. It stood up with its large tail wagging and after hesitating a while it jumped on the bed. Its big paws trampled all over Ike, knocking the wind out of him. It was attempting to move smoothly like a cat and curl up at his feet into a cute tiny ball but it seemed to have forgotten that it was a large predatory animal, not a household pet.

"Animals… sleep on… the floor," Ike wheezed, his face full of fluffy tail as he attempted to push the beast off the bed.

They wrestled for a while, the wolf attempting to shrink in size and Ike trying not to get squished. Even when they were fighting for a spot on the bed they were both having fun, Ike laughed out loud and the wolf gave him a lick on the cheek every chance it got.

Eventually Ike was the one to triumph. The wolf had to jump off the bed but it parked itself right next to it, a small murmur of protest erupting from its chest. Those turquoise eyes blamed him a little.

"We can't both fit on this bed, it's either you or me," Ike said apologetically, but he was glad he could finally breathe normally again. His voice sounded a little hoarse from all the roughhousing.

The wolf rested its head on its crossed front legs. The way it exhaled sounded like a frustrated, disappointed sigh.

"I know, it sucks," Ike said as he let his arm fall over the edge of the bed. His fingers found the lush grey mane and dug into it. He had been only tired after the long day, now he was both exhausted and sore all over. He caressed the wolf's beautiful fur absent-mindedly a few times before drifting off to sleep. He hadn't even bothered to undress.

Slumber didn't come to the wolf as easily as it had come to Ike.

Ever since the first day and the first rejection Link had never expected Ike to change so drastically. The wolf had truly brought out the best in him. It had turned the self-abhorring introvert into - well, not an extrovert, but a compassionate, likable young man. It had achieved more with him in a day than Link ever had. It suddenly occurred to him how painfully slowly he had actually made progress with Ike, their friendship had been defined by his perseverance and Ike's reluctance. Could such a thing even be called friendship?

The wolf pawed at the crystal on its neck. A cloud of curious black diamonds and rectangles erupted from it and spread to cover the wolf's body. There was a flash of grayish light. As the last of the diamonds evaporated Link had regained his human form. It was the first time he had used the crystal to return to his original self, for a second he found himself disoriented and had to look at his own palms to establish which skin he was in.

He crawled closer to the bed. He could hear Ike breathe. It felt very intimate. He had never been so close to another human that he had focused on hearing how they inhaled and exhaled. Before it had felt unnecessary to know someone that well, now he couldn't get enough of it. Ike's chest went up and down slowly and rhythmically. Link rested his head on his hands, watching how peaceful he was when he was thousands of miles away in a sweet dream.

It will be all right, he thought to himself, I'll be a wolf by day and myself by night so we can both be happy. There was no bitterness in his reasoning, it was an earnest thought and a sensible resolution. Ike could not love him as much as the wolf. It wasn't fruitful to feel jealousy towards another form of himself.

Still, if the wolf had been on the bed so he could do the same thing, right? Without a second thought he climbed on the bed agilely, his movement smooth and soft. It creaked welcomingly upon his arrival. He inhaled sharply, enchanted by the peaceful visage of the one he loved. He had never seen Ike so peaceful, when he wasn't constantly frowning he looked very young and attractive.

Ike's right hand was still hanging over the edge of the bed. Link lifted it carefully over his chest, it looked much more comfortable that way. He let his fingers glide over his, then travel up his chest timidly, hesitantly. He could feel the warmth of his body even through his clothing. A smile spread on his face, followed by an enamored sigh. He let his fingertips feel the ridges of Ike's clavicle, his skin was so smooth and warm to the touch. The tip of a scar disappearing underneath his shirt caught his attention. Where had it come from? Apart from Mist had anyone else ever seen it? Link's heart skipped a beat as he touched the smooth line. Had anyone ever touched it? He took his time mapping the scar, somehow hoping that his touch would mark Ike, brand him as his own.

Enchanted, Link leaned a little closer. He could feel his warm breath on his lips. It sent shivers running up and down his spine. He had never been so close to anyone in his life. His heart was pounding.

He could no longer think. He could no longer hold himself back.

Without a single rational thought he grabbed Ike's cheeks with both hands and dove in for a kiss. He held his eyes tightly shut as his lips pressed against his softly, invitingly. They felt so soft and warm like cottony clouds. His lips fit against them perfectly. In his fantasies Ike always responded by wrapping his arms around him. He would pull him even closer and whisper:  _what took you so long?_

Nothing of the sort happened. Eventually he had to draw away and accept the fact that fantasies were nothing but the creations of imagination. His kiss had been as unresponsive as if left on dead lips. Still, it was the first kiss he had initiated and finished, it hadn't been forced by anyone. That made it so much more important. Link touched his lips with his fingertips gently, still holding his eyes closed as he relived the kiss by the nanosecond and memorized every little detail.

When he opened his eyes he froze. Dark blue, almost black eyes were looking directly at him. He froze, getting swept by horripilation. Blood flushed out of his head and he turned white as a sheet. His heart felt like it had stopped.

He had been caught redhanded!

His heart jumpstarted, beating twice as fast as before. It pumped adrenaline into his system, allowing him to escape faster. It was the only thing he could do. Run. Hide. Never face Ike again. Probably move into a cave and become a hermit. He crawled away from Ike as fast as he could, fumbling backwards on the bed. It felt like an eternity, the trip from his side to the edge of the bed. It didn't even hurt when he fell on the floor on his back. He tried to grasp the crystal but it kept slipping between his fingers.

"I told… you…" Link stiffened as he heard Ike's voice. " …no animals… on the… bed."

The bed creaked, he had apparently turned to his side.

Link held his breath for a long time, afraid that Ike was still awake and even the smallest sound wound ignite his wrath. A comforting silence surrounded them, interrupted only by a quiet snore originating from the bed.

A wave of relief washed over him. It was unbelievable that Ike hadn't woken up. Link wiped the cold sweat off his forehead thanking his luck a millionth time. How many more chances did he have left until getting caught? Was wearing the wolf's fur only postponing the inevitable rejection he was about to face? Was he ready to go back to shaving ice off of Ike while knowing he could never love him like he loved the wolf?

That night Link didn't sleep at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'd love to hear what you think about this story so feel free to leave any kind of feedback or just leave kudos. It means a lot to us! Thank you for reading!


	7. Dream of a Shore

A beautiful forest filled with the various shades of green.

 

Ike didn’t know how he had arrived in such a magical place. It seemed like something straight out of a fairytale. Trees grew thick with curly branches hanging heavy under the weight of their leaves. The foliage was so thick that a perpetual eerie twilight surrounded him. His feet sank into the moss beneath his feet with each step, it felt like walking on cotton candy. He passed tufts of grass and strange, large mushrooms that glowed soft light to illuminate his path.

 

He ran.

 

Everything around him was so still in its magical greenness that he almost felt like running through a painting. The scenery changed as he advanced, yet it always seemed to be in still images. It wasn’t realistic. He could’ve been running on a treadmill in front of a canvas, he was quite certain of it until he looked at his feet. They moved on their own. Whenever there was a rock or a root sticking out of the ground he had already avoided it before he even realized it was there. He managed to hold his balance and move through the uneven terrain at a high speed although he had never been there before. His feet carried him through the forest like he was on a preset path.

 

What was he running away from? Ike didn’t know. He wasn’t feeling frightened at all. If he would’ve had to describe the way he was feeling he would’ve called it the pull of magnetism. He was only running to hold himself upright as he was being dragged towards something. 

 

Ages passed. Ike ran, growing more and more anxious to get to his destination. The scenery changed, yet remained unchanging. Paths, roots, even rocks began to look familiar. Had he passed them before? Was he running in circles? 

 

Just when he was starting to lose hope of ever getting out of the forest a bright ray of sunlight broke the foliage. Then another. And another. He was nearing the end of the forest. Light spilled in through the thinning foliage, illuminating the beautiful forest with the warm rays of the sun. Ike could hear birds singing. At first they were species he could identify, then more exotic ones. Birches and spruces turned into coconut trees and tropical flowers. The green illusion exploded into a celebration of color and vibrance. 

 

Then suddenly he stepped over a ledge and fell face first on a beach. 

 

With a mouth full of sand he pushed himself up on his knees. Sun shone so brightly he had to shade his eyes to see the beach he was on. White sand stretched as far as the eye could see, seeming endless as it met the sky in the horizon on both ends. A cerulean sky blended into the ocean rolling in and out with white foaming waves crashing against the shore. The open sea glistened in the rays of the sun like a pool of diamonds. Ike took a deep breath was he admired the paradise. It wasn’t a place he recognized. Had he arrived to his destination? _No_ , answered his heart. _Just a little further._

 

Ike stood, up, commanded by his heart. Sand slipped between his toes and he realized he had lost his shoes. He couldn’t remember if he had had them in the forest. It seemed like something that had happened aeons ago. Had he really even been there? 

 

Ike’s heart almost burst in his chest when he noticed a silhouette standing in the shallow water. That was why he had been running. There was no other reason. He had come from the other side of the Earth to be there on that beach on that very moment to meet that very person. It was destiny that had brought him there.

 

He tried to approach the silhouette but his feet didn’t budge. Having stood still so long he had sunk to his thighs in the warm sand. Ike gasped. It was quicksand! He tried to lift his feet but they were heavy, so very heavy. Each inch he managed to lift one up the other sank in deeper into the ground. Small grains of sand chafed against his skin. He screamed for help but no voice came out. 

 

Ike refused to give up. Using both hands to dig he feverishly clawed at the ground. He had come too far to give up! His efforts were useless, the fine sand slipped past his fingers with ease. He paused to think for a second. It was no use trying to fight the sand with speed. He put his hands together to form a cup with his palms and began to dig determinedly. His heart was set; he wasn’t ready to leave this world before meeting the person in the shallow water. 

 

Whether it was his resolution or just plain brute strength Ike eventually manage to climb out to safety. Small grains of sand stuck to his skin all over as he crawled away from the quicksand. He let himself rest for a second, it had been exhausting climbing out of an abyss that had wanted to swallow him. It was comfortable just lying there. The sand felt warm against his face. It would be so easy to give up. He bit his lower lip. He hadn’t come to quit halfway. _Just a little further,_ his heart whispered. 

 

He forced himself up to see the silhouette in the water but sunlight stung in his eyes and he had to avert his gaze. The once gentle ocean breeze turned scorching hot. It was as if the beach didn’t want him to reach the waterline. 

 

Ike kept going. One step at a time he dragged himself onwards. His body moved in slow motion. He lifted one foot out of the sand and took a step, then the other, forcing himself to move forward. He was exhausted, running on nothing but determination. When his legs had no more strength in them he grabbed his thigh with both hands and lifted it out of the sand to take a step, then repeated with the other foot. He tried to call out to whoever could hear him but he had no voice. All he could do was fight the sand, fight it step by step until he had nothing left in him.

 

He pressed his lips tightly together as the scorching wind punished his skin. He had come so far, too far to let go. He had always had to struggle in his life; having lost both parents when he had been little, taking care of his little sister, fighting for a country that he loved yet never rewarded him for his efforts. If he could only reach that silhouette in the shallow water all the bad things in his life would become meaningless. It would be a fresh start. All the bitterness, sadness and anger he carried with him would be taken away from him, replaced with happiness and fulfillment and an emotion he had never felt before; love. He couldn’t give up, not when he was so close.

 

Water grazed his toes with its cooling touch. The ocean rolled out to roll in over his feet on its eternal cycle. It felt relaxing. The scorching wind was nothing more than a rejuvenating tropical breeze that playfully ruffled his hair. The ocean glistened in the rays of the sun blindingly, blending into the cerulean sky somewhere in the horizon. It seemed endless. A blue dream. 

 

In the shallow water stood a fair-haired beauty wearing a white robe that billowed in the wind. He had remained unmoved throughout Ike’s trials in the sand, watching into the horizon as if waiting for someone.

 

Ike waded as fast as he could in the blue water towards the person reaching out to touch him. Just before his fingers grazed the billowing white fabric and the shrouded shoulder underneath it the person turned their head to see him. Ike had never seen anyone so beautiful. Not even his sister could compare. Her brown eyes could make a man's heart skip a beat but those cerulean eyes contained the whole sky in its vastness. Her face was beautiful like a doll's, but the face in front of him made him gasp for air. He loved every part of it; the tiny nose, the arch of his brow, the line of his jaw, the long pointy ears. He cupped his cheek, almost shivering with the excitement of touching someone so perfect. Barely audibly the Hylian's name escaped his lips.

 

Link smiled as he leaned his head against his palm, clearly having missed the touch of his rough hand. ”Did you follow my scent?” 

 

Ike gasped as he was dragged back into reality with such force that it sprung him into a sitting position on his bed. He was clenching the sheets with white knuckles, his heart raced in his chest, his breath was heavy and laborious. Droplets of cold sweat ran down his temples. He didn’t understand why he was so agitated, the dream hadn’t been a nightmare. The true terror had been waking up from it. His eyes widened. 

 

He hadn’t wanted to wake up. 

 

The wolf had awakened to his movement and was licking the back of his hand as well as it could over the edge of the bed. It was trying to comfort him. Its shining turquoise eyes looked at him as if it was trying to scrutinize what had happened to him that had frightened him so badly. 

 

”I need you to do something”, Ike said, ruffling the wolf’s mane gently. It barked excitedly and tapped its front feet against the floor, ready to help in any way possible.

 

”I need you to track down Link for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken so long to update! I still hope you liked the chapter :)


	8. Wolf/Link

”Please find him for me.”

 

The wolf looked at Ike petrified in terror. What Ike had asked of it - a simple task of finding someone - had brought its world to a grinding halt. Never in its wildest dreams had it dared to envision a scenario in which Ike would want to find Link, much less ask his wolf to track him down. It had simply assumed that Link had no chance. What kind of a mad inexplicable dream Ike had had that had changed so completely his conception of Link? The wolf’s world was turning upside down. It had accepted its fate at Ike’s side as his most trusted friend and was at a complete loss with what to do. It couldn’t give Ike both the wolf and Link. It stared at its master, unable to do anything at all.

 

”Please, wolf, I think I finally understand…” Ike said pleadingly as he climbed off the bed and settled on his knees in front of the wolf on the floor. His arms wrapped around the soft mane of the canine as he pulled it into a hug. His voice sounded desperate. ”Link is different. He’s not a human. Maybe he… maybe he really is someone I can trust…”

 

The wolf jerked away from its master. Every hair on its body stood on end. It couldn’t believe its ears. Ike had never spoken in such manner about anyone. He despised everyone. In his world humans were nothing but back-stabbers and liars and the only one he allowed close to himself was his sister. He had been swindled, beat down, hurt and betrayed so many times that he had enclosed himself in a protective shell of hatred and contempt. For him to say that he wanted to trust someone was the equal of a love confession to anyone else. The wolf was paralyzed with the realization. 

 

Ike lay his hands in his lap, defeated. ”Please, wolf… I need to see him, just for a moment. I need to apologize for the things I’ve done.” His fingers curled up into fists as his face distorted into a grimace. A tear of regret rolled out of the corner of his eye. He had been so mean to Link when the Hylian had been nothing but friendly towards him. He had been the grand idiot, he understood that now. With his disdain and abuse he had driven Link away. He had thought of him strange with his claim of having followed his scent and hadn’t even asked how or why. He had never even given Link a chance. 

 

The wolf understood Ike’s pain. It had felt the same kind of longing, so strong that it felt like its heart was being torn from its chest. It had felt the same kind of sadness, the kind that felt suffocating like sinking into the bottom of the ocean. It had felt the same kind of affection, the kind that was bittersweet in its hopelessness. Whatever it chose to do it would still break Ike’s heart. Grant him the Hylian and he would search for the wolf until his dying day. Deny him the Hylian and guilt would break him each day a little more until he couldn’t go on anymore. 

 

There was only one solution. Link would talk to Ike one last time. He would forgive him for everything, even if there was nothing to forgive. He would allow himself perhaps one more kiss before explaining that they could never see each other again. He would break Ike’s heart, but the wolf would be there to gather the pieces. It was the wolf that mattered more to Ike than the Hylian ever could.

 

Having arrived to a bittersweet solution the wolf finally managed to move. The resolution of giving up human life altogether made it feel anxious and mournful but it was certain that it was the right choice. It tugged on Ike’s sleeve, signaling him that it was time to go. He wiped his tears and nodded, cracking a small smile. 

 

”Yes, let’s go”, he said as he got up. The giant beast was so infinitely kind he sometimes wondered how he had ever deserved such a companion. He decided to make it proud. If it could track down Link he would change. He would learn to trust others. Link would guide him through it and he would do everything to redeem himself in his eyes. He would become a good friend - no, that wasn’t enough - he would become the best friend anyone could ever have. 

 

The wolf murmured excitedly as it hurried to the door, cramping the small space with its large body. Ike shuffled past it sharing its excitement and opened the latch with trembling hands. He was just as excited as the wolf, although for an entirely different reason. As soon as the door was unlatched the large animal jumped against it, throwing it open. It dashed into the hallway, its paws sliding against the wooden floor as it gathered momentum. Before Ike could follow it to the end of the corridor it had already disappeared leaving behind crumpled carpets. He called out for it as he ran after it so fast he kept fumbling but hallways and staircases remained empty. He passed a few smashers, but they hadn’t seen it either. He ascended staircases and descended them, traversed halls and examined every corner but with no luck. The wolf had disappeared into thin air as soon as he had opened the door for it and no matter how much he called out for it, it didn’t return. 

 

Link sat on the white iron bench in the grove where he had met Ike for the very first time. He had taken his human form as soon as he had reached the secret spot but having been in wolf form so long made him feel confused and disoriented. His body was no longer familiar. His limbs felt strange being so long and nimble. He looked at his fingers, he had forgotten how long they were. He curled them up into fists and opened them again while getting used to his new form. Even his back felt odd and out-of-place, sitting upright just didn’t feel right. Link shrugged. Oh well, it was time to find Ike and break his heart. He stood up, but his feet didn’t hold his weight and he sat back down. After a few failed attempts he eventually remembered how walking was done and left with wobbly steps. 

 

He took long strides in the maze of rose bushes as he sought for Ike. He had prepared every word he would say to him carefully in his mind. His time as a wolf had taught him that Ike was afraid of love and closeness and he would use that against him. Even if Ike was willing to trust him - as he had told his wolf - didn’t mean he was ready to take on a relationship and everything that came with it. He was still an introvert, terrified of opening himself up to anyone and if Link demanded more of him than he was ready to give… he would lash out to drive him away. Link bit his lower lip. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he would do it for Ike.

 

He turned a corner and ran into Zelda. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t heard her and obviously, so had she. Before he could say anything, she screamed. Her face distorted with fear and before recognizing her oldest friend she had already taken a few hasty steps back in an attempt to flee. ”L-Link!” She exclaimed, covering her mouth immediately after. 

 

”Zelda, what’s wrong?” Link asked, the state of her horror was so deep that he grew alarmed as well. It wasn’t like Zelda to lose her calm composure. In the face of danger she always remained calm and collected, to upset her there had to be something gravely wrong with him. 

 

Zelda still held her hands on her mouth as if to keep another scream in. She stared at him with diminished pupils, her eyes watering. Her face turned white as if it was a ghost she was looking at and not her oldest friend. Upon hearing footsteps she suddenly snapped out of her shock and grabbed Link’s hand, swiftly pulling him behind her into a hiding spot behind one of the bigger bushes. Link followed her obediently, his mind racing to find a reason why she was so horrified. He had known her his whole life and not once had he seen such fear on her features. 

 

Zelda took a small mirror from her pocket but her hands were trembling and she dropped it. She picked it up and dropped it again before she managed to hand it to Link. ”L-Look”, she managed to say, her voice nothing but a hoarse whisper.

 

Link turned the mirror so that he could see his face. What he saw made him gasp and the mirror fell from his hands. He couldn’t believe his eyes. It had to be a trick of some sort. He picked up the mirror again, his hands shaking frantically. He didn’t recognize the person in the mirror. It frightened him. He touched his face in disbelief. He had once before experienced the curse of Twilight but what he witnessed now was far worse. 

 

His face reminded his mirror image, but it was a mixture between his features and the wolf’s snout. Instead of a nose he had a small black rhinarium. Dark grey fur covered the area around his nose and eyes like a bad carnival mask. His turquoise eyes were piercing and their gaze feral, filled with terror and disbelief. His long pointy ears were replaced by large wolf ears. He touched them and they felt soft and sensitive in his fingers. How could he not have noticed? He even had a tail!

 

”It’s… it’s not that bad,” Zelda spoke having collected herself. 

 

”It’s not!?” Link asked, his voice almost screeching. Zelda shushed him by placing a finger on his lips. 

 

”It’ll be all right”, she continued hastily. ”Wait here, I’ll be back in an instant.” 

 

”Wait, Zelda-” Link began but she had already exited the bush and her steps receded fast.

 

As his initial panic settled, Link looked at his reflection again. He wasn’t ugly or horrifying, just a mix of his two forms. Neither a man nor a wolf. The crystal punished him for wanting to give Ike both the wolf and himself. His both forms loved the swordsman equally and surely it wasn’t strange of him to want Ike’s happiness? In his current state he couldn’t give him either one. It was too cruel to be true. He scrutinized the face he no longer recognized and cursed himself for being so indecisive. In his search for reciprocality he had become someone who wasn’t worthy of anyone’s affection.

 

Zelda returned after what seemed like an eternity. She had a large black cloak in her hands that she threw on Link as fast as she could. It was long and thick and the hood was so deep it concealed his face completely from curious glances. Link recognized the cloak, Zelda wore it whenever she wanted to remain incognito outside of her castle. It was shapeless, black and unnoticeable; it was the perfect disguise.

 

”There’s only one person who can help you”, Zelda said, holding onto his hood as she tucked his ears back underneath it. ”You must hurry to the Mirror of Twilight and speak with Midna. She is the only one who knows how to revert Twilight Magic.” 

 

Link nodded. The Mirror of Twilight was hidden in the tallest tower of Hyrule Castle. It wasn’t so much a portal anymore but a looking glass into the Twilight Realm that Zelda used sometimes when she needed Midna’s help. Remnants of the darkness still lingered in some parts of Hyrule and she was the only one who knew how to remove them. Could she cure something caused by a Twilight Gem? Would she even want to? It was the least of Link’s problems, he was far more worried how he would get to the busiest city in Hyrule and make his way into the castle without being seen.

 

”I asked for my carriage, it should be waiting by the front door.” Zelda interrupted his thinking as she pulled him behind her out of the bushes and towards the mansion. ”Hurry.” 

 

”Can’t I take a horse?” Link argued. ”It would be a lot faster.” 

 

Zelda turned to look at him as they entered the mansion via double doors in the dining hall and hurried towards the front entrance. ”You can’t risk being seen. What if someone saw you?” She asked in a low voice. 

 

Link had to agree with her on that. It was of utmost importance that no one saw his face in its current form. The people of Hyrule wouldn’t recognize him, much less understand that their savior had turned into a wolf-boy. He would keep the cloak on at all times until the curse was lifted and he was returned to his usual form… if that could be done. If not, he would find a cozy cave somewhere on top of Snowpeak to hide for the rest of his life.

 

Link had his hand on the handle of the front door when it suddenly opened. A gush of fresh air preceded Ike stepping in. He had been wandering all over the premises in search for his wolf and the missing Hylian. He didn’t recognize the cloaked figure attempting to squeeze past him but he had been calling out his name so many times during his expedition that it slipped off his lips out of habit. 

 

”Ike!” Link whimpered. Immediately after exclaiming his name he realized that the cape would’ve concealed his identity from the swordsman in front of him but it was already too late. Ike had found him. He froze in panic. Ike was so close that he could smell cologne on him, it was the first time he was wearing a scent and Link’s heart palpitated with the wish that maybe he had put it on for him. He bit his lower lip while hanging his head even lower. It was getting difficult to concentrate. One wrong word and Ike could pull down his hood to witness all the lies and deceit he had used to get closer to him.

 

”I’ve been looking for you all over”, Ike began, his voice soft and tender. It was like honey in Link's ears. When Ike put his hands on his shoulders and squeezed a little, shyly as if he wasn't sure if he was allowed to do that Link's eyes fluttered shut as he drowned in the bliss of being so close to the one he loved. What made it so special was that Ike had never willingly touched another person. Those dark blue, soulful eyes peered into the hood looking for eye contact. ”Listen, Link, I need to apolog-”

 

”Not now!” Zelda hurried to interpose, pushing the swordsman away from her friend. Ike had touched Link and it was too much for the Hylian to handle in his lovesick state. She positioned herself between them, knowing that Link wouldn’t leave until he had to, not when Ike was using such tactics on him.

 

”Link is very sick! There’s a carriage outside waiting to take him to a doctor!” She almost shouted, a little surprised that her tone sounded so shrill.

 

”Oh, I had no idea…” Ike breathed quietly while attempting to peek inside the hood, but the harder he tried to see something the lower Link hung his head to keep him from seeing it.

 

”He must leave now. We can’t risk this sickness getting any worse than it already is”, Zelda said, almost shoving Link out of the door.

 

Ike crossed his arms at his chest as he scrutinized the carriage waiting outside and the young boy sitting at the helm. ”The driver of that carriage isn’t a soldier”, he ascertained solemnly. ”Link will susceptible to robbers without protection. I am a mercenary, I will keep him safe on his journey.” 

 

”No, no, it’s really not necessary”, Link hurried to say. ”I feel better alre-”

 

”It’s the least I can do”, Ike interposed, his tone of voice suggesting that his decision wasn't negotiable. Having decided that the conversation was over he marched to the carriage and exchanged a few words with the driver. Link glanced at Zelda in a state of shock that only seemed to get worse by the minute, she looked just as helpless as he did. Neither of them had assumed that had they run into Ike he would want to tag along. Briefly Link wondered that maybe something grand had really happened to the mercenary in his dream that had truly changed him. Standing stoically by the carriage holding the door open for his friend he didn’t look different from usual, but the fact that he was there made all the difference. 

 

”Are you coming?” Ike asked, sounding a little irritated when the cloaked Hylian made no effort to approach the carriage. ”I thought we were in a hurry.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally updated! Only a few more chapters left to go so let me know if you'd like to see more!


	9. No Easy Solution

The winding staircase seemed endless as Link made his way up the tower. Zelda had mentioned that she had built a tower for Midna so tall that clouds isolated her from the rest of Hyrule. There, above the known world she resided alone in her tower, the Princess of Twilight, trapped in a magical mirror.

 

Link wanted to drop on all fours to climb the steps faster but his anatomy felt strange. He was neither in wolf form nor in human form and the mixture of those two felt the strangest he had yet felt. It was difficult trying to decide on how many feet he was supposed to be. Somehow both forms seemed present yet absent and both spoke to him while fighting for dominance in his head. 

 

After what seemed like an era of its own he made it to the top of the tower. After catching his breath he noticed a small pedestal in the middle of the room. On that pedestal stood a small mirror in which he could see a familiar face. That of Midna’s. 

 

”Ohhh, a visitor”, the princess of Twilight scoffed through the mirror. ”Why are you still wearing that silly cloak, Zelda? You're not fooling me.”

 

”It’s me”, Link said, still breathing a little heavy.

 

”Link!? Why are you wearing that thing? I never would’ve recognized you!” Midna said, her face suddenly nearing the surface of the mirror. 

 

Link lowered his hood and exposed his half-wolf, half-human features. Midna’s initial gasp turned into a smug smile.

 

”Oh, I see. What a naughty boy you are. I thought you were done being a wolf.” She said. 

 

Link explained everything. He told Midna about the time he had actually been stuck in his wolf form when Ike had rescued him in the forest near Ordon and how he had fallen in love at that very moment. He explained to her how he had ran directly to Ike right after he had rescued Hyrule and how Ike had rejected him so coldly. He spoke of his troubles as Ike’s friend and how he had resolved them by taking his wolf form. Eventually he came to the part where something had gone horribly wrong and he had become stuck between his two forms. 

 

”I hope he’s worth all this.” Midna scoffed. She crossed her arms on her chest and continued: ”If he dumps you after all this I’ll break this mirror and beat him into a pulp.” 

 

”Just tell me how to cure myself”, Link replied. 

 

Midna laughed ruefully. ”Cure? There is no cure. This is who you are now”, she explained. "The crystal only transforms you between two forms if those two forms are separate from each other. For some reason you are both.” 

 

Link looked at his feet. It was true that both of his forms were equally important to him. Ike loved the wolf, but being his friend was important too and to do that he needed to be in human form. ”So there’s no way I can take one or the other?” 

 

”Of course there is”, Midna said as if it was the most obvious answer. ”You have to be certain of who you are. Then you can use the crystal. Whether you are a wolf or a human, the crystal will transform you into the one you most resemble within.” 

 

”If I make a decision now can I use the crystal?” Link asked, cupping the black gem in his palm. It felt cold like a cube of ice.

 

”Are you certain of who you are?” Midna asked, her red eyes scanning him intently. 

 

Link hesitated as he looked at the crystal. ”I’m not sure. I want to be both.” 

 

Midna sighed, rolling her eyes theatrically. ”Why are you making it so complicated?” 

 

”You don’t understand”, Link explained. ”I love him because he gives me belly rubs and plays with me when I’m in wolf form but I still want to kiss him and hold him.”

 

”Then maybe this form is most suited for you”, Midna replied rudely. 

 

”No!” Link protested. ”I can’t let him know I’m both.”

 

”Well, whichever you choose, be certain of it”, Midna explained. ”Otherwise you might stay like that forever.” 

 

Link looked at the crystal one last time before hiding it underneath his cloak again. He had hoped to find answers with Midna but instead he had only found more problems. How was he going to decide which of his two forms he eventually wanted to be? How could he know? If Ike loved him as a wolf wasn’t it better to be in that form? But if he remained a wolf he would never experience the sensation of Ike’s warm fingers gliding over his skin. If he remained a wolf he could have all the rubs and treats he wanted but would those make up for the lack of kisses? Would he be able of giving up who he was for love?

 

Questions swarmed his mind as he descended the endless staircase. It was impossible to decide which one he wanted to be; a human or a wolf, a friend or a companion.

 

Ike waited rigidly by the carriage for his friend. He didn’t know how to act. He stood sternly like a mercenary because he didn’t know what it was that friends did while waiting for their friends. He had never experienced this kind of idleness before. He wasn’t under any contract nor was he forced to be there in order to receive a mission. He was there only as a friend. A friend who had no idea what it was that friends actually did. He drew a circle in the sand with the tip of his shoe.

 

”You need to return to the mansion.” 

 

Ike looked upon hearing his friend’s voice. He had been so deep in thought he hadn’t heard the large cloak that concealed Link sneak up on him. 

 

”You can still win the tournament”, Link continued, unmoved by his surprised expression. ”This condition that I’m in… it takes time to heal it. I can’t come back, at least not for quite some time.” 

 

”Is there something I can do?” Ike asked as he recovered from his initial shock. It was the only reply he could think of. After all, he was a friend now and friends did things for friends. 

 

”No”, Link replied curtly. ”This condition is a curse. I brought it upon myself and only I can remove it.” 

 

Ike thought for a while while rubbing his chin. He was not going to leave Link now that he had finally found him. He owed him for having treated him so badly before. However, he did need the money that could be won from the tournament. He decided to have both with a clever solution. 

 

”I have a potion at home that cures most curses. It’s quite far away but we might make it in a day if we take only the horses”, he said. 

 

”This curse can’t be lifted with a potion”, Link hurried to say. 

 

Ike frowned. ”Why?” 

 

”Because it’s from the Twilight”, Link explained. ”You’ve seen it. It’s a kind of darkness that covers everything. It feels like a storm is coming but it never does. The feeling just lingers in the air in a malevolent manner.” 

 

Ike recalled the day he had been on his way to the tournament and passed through a small village. None of the residents had said anything about the Twilight, but the girl that had warned him about the monsters had probably tried to warn him about it. He could remember the malevolence in the air as he had made his way through the forest. Air had felt electric. His horse had been jumpy and restless. How had he forgotten? He recalled his first meeting with the wolf. He had forgotten all about the evil surrounding him because he had met a majestic beast in the forest. Had it been a creation of the Twilight as well? Could it be found there again?

 

He turned to look at Link. ”I have seen it… but how do you know about that?” 

 

Link looked at his feet. The truth was at the tip of his tongue but he swallowed it. ”I know where Crimea is. The shortest way to the tournament is through Ordon, my hometown. Before the tournament I defeated the Twilight but the curse still remains in some parts of Hyrule.” He comforted himself with the thought that he wasn’t lying, he was only leaving things unsaid. 

 

”Don’t you think it would be a good idea to start our investigation there then?” Ike asked. He wasn’t going to leave his friend in trouble. If he could, he would still try to win the tournament but it had become of secondary importance to him. There had never been any guarantee he would win the money but if he had a friend, then maybe Link could help him keep his house. Friends did things for friends.

 

”It’s as good as any other”, Link replied, glad that Ike wanted to stay by his side. Other than that he had no idea how to come to the conclusion of which one he was more, the wolf or the human. Going back home and seeing his friends seemed like a good idea if he wanted to be a human again. Then he thought of the forest where he had met Ike. It had been one of the happiest days of his life… and he had been a wolf. 

 

There was no simple answer. His only hope was that Ike would somehow provide him with a solution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for me to update but here it finally is! If you want to see this story continued, please comment! ♡♡


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